Tourism shines at the 2017 Qantas Australian Tourism Awards

Over 700 tourism industry representatives celebrated the best-of- the-best on Friday night at the 2017 Qantas Australian Tourism Awards held at the new Optus Stadium in Perth.

The awards, which showcase the best in outstanding customer service, innovation and ongoing business excellence, were presented in front of industry peers and officials from across Australia.

Australian Tourism Awards chair, Daniel Gschwind, said that the calibre of finalists in this year’s awards was exceptional and the operators should be applauded for their dedication to providing quality tourism experiences: “Tonight, we celebrate leading businesses whose hard work, innovation and commitment to quality continue help to drive our industry as a leading contributor to jobs and economic growth across Australia.”

Minister for trade, tourism and investment Steven Ciobo said the awards were a great showcase of the skill within the industry. “I’d like to extend my congratulations to all of this year’s finalists and winners. These prestigious awards provide a wonderful opportunity to shine the spotlight on Australia’s tourism industry and those operators and businesses who make such an important contribution to the record level of growth that our industry is currently enjoying.”

Among the 26 winners was Paul Hogan, awarded the status of Australian Tourism Legend in recognition for his role in attracting international visitors to Australia, most notably in the North American market. The Come and Say G’Day campaign, fronted by Hogan, opened Australia to a broader international audience and the line “I’ll slip an extra shrimp on the barbie for you” has been immortalised in tourism folklore.

“I’d also like to recognise Paul Hogan who has done so much for our industry and so richly deserves the tourism legend award bestowed upon him. The timing couldn’t be more perfect either, with the recent launch of Tourism Australia’s “Dundee” campaign drawing so much inspiration from the iconic film in which he starred,” Minister Ciobo added.

Notably, two businesses were inducted into the Hall of Fame with the Tasmanian Walking Company and BIG4 Deniliquin Holiday Park taking out top honours for Ecotourism and Caravan and Holiday Parks respectively.

The awards are supported by industry and government partners, particularly naming rights sponsor Qantas, as well as Tourism Australia, Tourism Western Australia and Optus Stadium.

“It is with the support of industry that we are able to recognise and celebrate these outstanding businesses tonight, and look towards a strong future for the industry built on partnerships,” said Mr Gschwind.